


Byeler 30 Day OTP Challenge

by finnxwheeler



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2018-12-15 15:47:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11809152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/finnxwheeler/pseuds/finnxwheeler
Summary: This collection features adorable prompts from a 30 day challenge!





	1. Day 1: Meeting-When Your OTP First Met

**Author's Note:**

> So these prompts are from a 30 day challenge collection! I decided to do this one for Byeler, and if anyone would like to partake in the challenge, the prompt can be found right here!: http://otp-imagines-cult.tumblr.com/post/133309701572/30daychallenge1
> 
> Thanks for an awesome set of prompts, guys!

It had been the first day of kindergarten when Will Byers had first set eyes on Mike Wheeler.  
Will had been playing in the schoolyard, shifting a pile of dirt with his toy bulldozer. The ground had been muddy outside of the gravel path that wound around the playground, and Will knew that his pants would likely be dirty as a result. He knew his mother would scold him for it when he arrived home, but he didn’t care very much in that moment. Playing in the dirt was fun, and he wasn’t going to let his mother or anything else spoil that.  
Will had been playing alone, the other children running, frolicking, and screaming happily all around him. He had just finished pushing his third small pile of soil when a boy around his age, who had been running along the gravel path, tripped & sprawled into the small rocks. He began to whimper, rolling over and sitting up as the children around him went on with their own playtime. Tears spilled down the boy’s freckled cheeks, and he clutched at the torn knees of his pants, the skin there turning an angry shade of red. Some parts were even bleeding just a little, but there were no major injuries that Will could see. No one was coming to the distressed boy’s aid, and even five-year-old Will knew that wasn’t right. Why wasn’t anyone helping him? Why wouldn’t anyone at least go tell one of the teachers? They would surely know what to do, anyway.  
Will got up from his dirt piles, dusting off the back of his pants. He walked over to the boy, kneeling down in front of him with a gentle smile. “Hi,” he said. “Are you okay?”  
“No!” the child howled, pointing to his skinned knees. “I f-fuh-fell, ‘cause I ran t-too fast! My d-daddy says running is bad, and he was r-right!”  
“Nuh-uh!” Will chirped, shaking his head rapidly. “Daddies can be buttheads sometimes. That’s what my Mommy says. She hates my daddy sometimes; she said so.”  
The boy on the ground smiled shyly at Will, rubbing his knees with a painful whine. Will chewed his lip for a moment, brown eyes meeting the other child’s as he grinned softly. “Hey…Do you want me to kiss them better? It’ll take the pain away!”  
“What?” the other child asked, rubbing his teary eyes as he looked at Will. “What’ll that do?”  
Instead of answering, Will pressed a gentle, quick kiss to the non-bloody parts of the boy’s knees. The child giggled through his tears, sniffling and wiping his eyes dry as he leaned forward. He hugged Will, kissing his cheek with another chuckle before asking, “How did you know it would make the boo-boo better? I didn’t know it!”  
“My mommy always does it for mine!” Will exclaimed. “Then she puts a pretty boo-boo sticker on them, but I don’t have any.”  
“I’ll get one at home,” the other said. “My mommy uses those, too. I’m Mike.”  
“I’m Will!” he said gleefully. “Do you have friends, Mike?”  
“Yeah, some! You?”  
“No, not really. Just my Mommy and big brother. His name is Jonathan.”  
“I’ll be your friend.”  
“You will?”  
“Yeah!” Mike said happily. “You made me feel better, and that’s what friends do!”  
Will grinned, then pointed to his toys and mounds of dirt. “Wanna play?”  
Mike’s eyes darted to the direction Will was pointing, nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah! I love playing with dirt!”  
“I’ll push and you can pile the dirt?” Will suggested.  
“I’ll do sounds, too!” Mike squealed. “I like doing the sounds!”  
“Okay!” Will said, leading him over to where he had previously sat.  
The two began to immediately play together without any other care in the world. Mike pushed and tidied the shoved dirt, while Will used his bulldozer to create them, with Mike making sound effects all the while. Both were covered in mud by the end of recess, but neither minded. They had fun together that afternoon, and even sat together on the bus ride home.  
Mike Wheeler had become Will Byers’ first friend, and the two had been inseparable from that day forward.


	2. Day Two: Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will realizes his feelings for Mike. The second day of the 30 day OTP Challenge

Hawkins, Indiana had been blanketed in darkness for nearly two days in the winter of 1981. A winter storm had knocked out power in nearly all of the state and a few surrounding ones, leaving millions without electricity. Fortunately, the Wheeler family had a generator and were able to run some heat into their home as a result. Aside from the family of five being snowed in, their son Mike’s three friends—Will, Lucas, and Dustin—had also been stuck there. The boys had a sleepover the night before the storm had hit, and nearly everyone in town had underestimated the size and severity of the expected snowfall. Due to the storm, the boys couldn’t get their bikes out of the driveway to return to their homes. Their parents didn’t mind, for they wanted them to be somewhere warm and safe, anyway.   
When the boys weren’t outside making snowmen or playing in the snow, they were all down in the basement reading comics or telling ghost stories. Dustin owned a book called Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and was lucky enough to still have it stashed away in the Wheeler basement from their last sleepover. He was currently reading a story from that book called, “Me Tie Dough-Ty Walker!” and none of the kids seemed too frightened over it—none except Will Byers, at least.  
The smaller boy had been trembling slightly since Dustin started reading, all four boys sitting in a circle on the basement floor. Mike had noticed Will beginning to shake like a leaf about halfway through the previous story, and he gently took Will’s hand in his own beneath the blanket draped across their legs. He offered Will a soft, sorrowful smile, and Will’s stomach began to feel odd. Fluttery, even.  
That was something not altogether uncommon where Mike Wheeler as concerned, but it had become more pronounced in that moment.  
Dustin’s voice lowered to a near whisper, then rose to a near shout when appropriate in the story. Lucas was leaning forward intently and Mike was squeezing Will’s shaky, sweaty hand as he tried to comfort him. Will knew that he was likely getting bent out of shape for no reason, that it was only a story and nothing more, but he hated most horror movies or nightmare-inducing tales. This was certainly no exception, and as Dustin’s voice made its changes to fit the narrative, Will began squeezing Mike’s hand even harder. Mike, in turn, began rubbing soft circles on the back of Will’s hand with his thumb, trying to calm Will and make him feel more at ease in the dimly lit basement.  
There was that fluttering sensation in Will’s stomach again.   
That feeling was soon replaced with fear, however. Dustin had reached the story’s conclusion—a bloody head falling down the chimney of the house, as it turned toward the boy in the story, and screamed—with Dustin actually doing the screaming effect. He jumped at Will as he did so, causing the small boy to yelp and fold against Mike as the taller boy hugged him close.  
“Dustin!” Mike cried. “Stop! You’re scaring him even worse!”  
“Oh, come on!” Dustin said. “It’s just a story!”  
“Yeah, but he’s scared!” Mike pointed out. “I told you this wasn’t a good idea!” Then, to Will: “Are you alright?”  
Will just squeaked in response, so Mike held him tightly and began rocking him back and forth soothingly. “It’s okay,” Mike whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Will’s hair. “It was just some dumb story. It isn’t real and, even if it was, I wouldn’t let anything hurt you. Ever.”  
Will’s heart began to flutter, but now it wasn’t from the terror. It was from having Mike this close, feeling his comforting warmth and listening to the soothing sound of his voice. He’d never felt this way with Lucas or Dustin, so why was he feeling it now? Why was Mike the ONLY person to elicit these emotions?  
It was because Will had a crush on him. At least that had to be why; what else would bring this on? He’d always heard his mother talking about the “butterflies in your stomach” feeling a crush produced, and Will knew that no girl had ever made him feel this way before…  
“…to my room?” Mike was saying.  
“Huh?” Will asked, his voice small as he was pulled from his own mind. “Sorry, I…I wasn’t paying attention.”  
“I said, do you wanna go up to my room?” Mike repeated. “We can read comics or play with my Star Wars toys and stuff! It will just be us; Dustin and Lucas can enjoy their own Fright Fest down here.”  
Lucas stuck his tongue out at Mike, who mirrored the action before standing. He helped Will to his feet, an arm around Will’s shoulders as he grabbed a flashlight. They slowly made their way up the basement stairs, both of them giggling as they heard Ted snoring loudly from the living room. Upon reaching his room, Mike grabbed an extra blanket from his closet and handed it to Will. He then grabbed a box of his toys, placing it between them before smiling softly at Will.   
“You do know monsters aren’t real, right?” Mike questioned. “They’re just make-believe, and they are only in our imaginations. I’m sorry Dustin scared you, though.”  
“It’s okay,” Will replied. “I DO know that, and I feel better now that I’m out of the basement.”  
“Good!” Mike said, retrieving his toy Yoda and handing Will his toy Luke Skywalker. “I’m really glad. I hate seeing you so upset over stuff that isn’t real. Let’s play!”  
As Will played with Mike, that same feeling in the pit of his gut and in his heart, one thing was clear: Monsters may not have been real, but Will Byers’ crush on Mike Wheeler certainly was.


	3. Day Three: Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Three of the 30 Day OTP Challenge! Mike reveals his feelings.

Mike Wheeler wasn’t typically a nervous boy. Will Byers, however, had gradually changed that.  
It wasn’t just the fact that Mike always felt butterflies in his stomach when Will was around or when Mike thought about him, nor was it because Mike enjoyed Will’s company more than any other. It also wasn’t due to the fact that Will was his best friend and Mike would do absolutely anything for him. It wasn’t even because Mike noticed every visible beauty mark on Will’s skin, or the way his eyes lit up when he was happy, or the way Will’s tongue stuck out as he concentrated on his art, or the fact that Will’s laughter was the most contagious sound in the world.   
It was all because Mike had a big crush on Will, and he was too afraid of losing Will to confess it.   
Sure, Mike knew that Will did not like girls in a crush-type way, but it still didn’t set his anxiety at ease. Just because Will was interested in boys rather than girls did not mean that Will was crushing on Mike. Mike may have been young, but he wasn’t stupid; Will could have only liked Mike as a friend—nothing more, nothing less. But, if that were the case, then why was Will always blushing around Mike? Why was he always averting his eyes when Mike caught Will staring at him? Why was Will always wanting to hold Mike’s hand when Will got scared? Why did Will always seem nervous around Mike, in the same way Mike was nervous around Will? Did friends do that? Did Lucas and Dustin experience that around each other, or even around Will and Mike, without either of them noticing?   
All of those questions swam around in Mike’s head on several occasions, and he unfortunately did not know how to answer them. What he wanted to do in order to get those answers was to confess to Will, to get his feelings off his chest. If Will hated him for it, then it would just have to be. Mike knew that friends didn’t lie to one another or keep secrets, and Mike knew that Will deserved the truth.   
Maybe Will even felt the same way about Mike. He would never know unless he tried, after all.  
So, on a cloudy evening in October 1984, Mike invited Will over for dinner with his family. Mike knew that Will had been having a hard time lately, and Mike had been struggling also. He’d sought so much comfort in Will over the last year, and Will had come to Mike for many things as well. Perhaps that increased closeness and deep bond only solidified Mike’s crush, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he’d always had quite a crush on Will. It had just taken him awhile to realize it, because his parents had always teased him about girls and future wives, but never about boys or potential husbands. Mike didn’t even know you could have crushes on other boys until Will had told him about it.  
After dinner, Will and Mike retreated to the Wheeler basement. Mike invited Will to sit with him on the couch, and they sat in silence for several moments. Will stared at the basement stairs for a minute before glancing over at Mike, and Mike was fidgeting as he tried to figure out a way to get the conversation off the ground. He was getting ready to break the painfully awkward silence, but Will beat him to it.  
“Mike?” he asked. “Is something wrong? I…Why did you invite me over, but not any of the others?”  
Mike slowly met Will’s eyes, unsure whether to shake his head or nod at the first question. Something wasn’t exactly wrong, but it also didn’t feel right, either. Nerves had a funny way of doing that, it seemed. Instead, Mike simply shrugged, sighing as he sat back against the couch.  
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I mean…I know why I only invited you over, but I just…don’t know if something is wrong.”  
“Well, what’s going on?” Will asked curiously, his tone gentle. “You can talk to me.”  
“I…” Mike began, laughing nervously before sitting up and leaning forward slightly. “Please don’t hate me.”  
“Why would I hate you?” Will asked.  
“I…You know I liked El,” Mike said simply. “And you know I’ve been mourning her…her…you just know I’ve been sad over what happened with her.”  
“Yeah, I know. What does she have to do with this, though?”  
“She…Well, I…I like boys, too. The same way I like girls, and…”  
“You can do that?!”  
“Apparently so.”  
Will fell silent for a moment, turning his soft gaze back to Mike. “So, you…do you have a crush on a boy, too? Like you did with El?”  
“I do,” Mike confirmed, his nails digging into his own palms due to his mounting anxiety. “El is…She’s dead, and I…I’ve liked this boy for so long. Longer than I knew El, even.”  
“So, I know him?” Will asked.  
“Uh-huh,” Mike said shakily. “I…um..”  
Will reached over, taking Mike’s hand in his own. “You can tell me. Don’t be afraid, I won’t tell anyone and I won’t judge you.”  
Mike swallowed hard, squeezing Will’s hand before meeting his eyes again. “I…I like…I like you. It’s you, okay? I like you and I’m sorry. I didn’t even know you could have crushes on boys until you told me you did, and all of a sudden, everything made sense. You don’t have to like me back, I just…needed to get it off of my chest. Okay?”   
Will didn’t say anything for several minutes, and each passing second only added to Mike’s fear. He went to get up, to distance himself from the situation and hide away, but was stopped by Will’s tightening grip on his hand. Mike reluctantly found Will’s gentle brown eyes again, Mike’s own full of shame.   
“Don’t go,” Will begged. “I…Mike, I like you, too. I also have for so long. I would have told you sooner, I…I just never thought you’d feel the same. I thought you only liked girls, I…I never knew...”  
“Really?” Mike asked, feeling the nervous tension leaving his body in a flood. “You do?!”  
“Uh-huh!” Will chirped.   
“Good!” Mike said. “That’s good, right?”  
Will nodded, his eyes cast to the floor before speaking again. “Can we make some popcorn? I’m still hungry.”   
Mike smiled, taking Will’s hand and leading him upstairs. For the first time in almost a year, Mike was truly happy once again—and it was all thanks to Will Byers.


	4. Day Four: First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and Will's first date.

Will and Mike’s first official date wasn’t very different than any other outing together, but it had been one of the most wonderful evenings they ever experienced.   
Will had talked Mike into going to the new 1950s-style diner that had opened in Hawkins recently. It took some convincing, but Mike had finally given in and asked Nancy if he and Will could accompany her & Steve when they went on a date there. Nancy had reluctantly agreed to take them, but on the inside she thought it was adorable that her brother had awkwardly smiled and blushed throughout the entire conversation. The fact that Mike was smiling again and was slowly coming back to his hyper, bubbly self, was enough for her to allow it. She would have done anything to have the old Mike back, and it just so happened that Will Byers was exactly what he needed.   
Mike and Will went on a Friday evening, tagging along in the backseat of Steve’s car. They held hands the entire drive, ignoring Steve’s loud, off-key singing as he sang along to the radio. Sometimes the boys would laugh, trying to calm their nerves a bit, and other times they were more or less completely silent. They didn’t know why they were so anxious—they were just going to get some food and hang out, something they’d done many times before—but they supposed it was because this was their first time hanging out alone since they confessed their feelings. Everything had changed, whether they were consciously aware of it or not.  
The restaurant was called The Rock Hills Café, and it was truly like something out of the 1950s. Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel” greeted the four as they entered, and teal-and-pink walls decorated with various memorabilia added to the charm. A pink-and-white guitar hung above one window, a Route 66 sign was perched next to another, and pictures of various ‘50s icons, such as Buddy Holly and Marilyn Monroe, rested on the walls above each table. The floor was white and pink tile, a serving counter stood in the center of the diner with a soda fountain & ice cream machine sitting on each corner, and tables & booths with white and green upholstered chairs filled the place. A jukebox stood against a far wall, and records dangled from the ceiling by clear wire. The diner was surprisingly empty for that time of evening for a Friday, and they supposed that it was due to a football game that was taking place in town.  
Will and Mike sat in a corner booth, sitting next to each other while Nancy & Steve decided to sit at the counter nearby. Nancy gave Mike more than enough money to buy dinner for himself and Will, so Mike decided to splurge and buy them each a milkshake. Mike ordered vanilla and Will got a strawberry one, with the waitress bringing them over before taking their orders. Both wanted a burger and fries, and they slowly slurped on their shakes as the smiling waitress walked toward the kitchen with the order. Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue” began to play, and Will tried drinking the milkshake from the glass without the straw. He succeeded, but a small pink moustache remained on his upper lip. Mike took notice, and giggled as he reached toward the napkin dispenser.   
“Hold still, Willie,” Mike instructed with a simper, holding a napkin to Will’s upper lip as he began to dab the ice cream away. Will blushed all the while, which only caused Mike’s grin to widen. When Will was cleaned up, Mike sat the soiled cloth aside. “There. All done!”  
“Why didn’t you just kiss it away?” Will teased, winking before sipping his milkshake through the straw that time around.   
“Because they’re staring at us,” Mike murmured out of the corner of his mouth, jerking his head toward Nancy and Steve.  
Will’s eyes slowly flickered toward the couple, chuckling as he shook his head. “Aw! Are you shy, Mike?”  
“No,” Mike said. “I’m just…I don’t want to get teased at home, that’s all.”  
“You poor thing,” Will joked. “Whatever will you do if you get teased about having a boyfriend?”  
Mike’s head snapped toward Will, his freckled cheeks heating in a furious blush. “You…You consider yourself my boyfriend?”  
“Don’t you?”  
“Yeah! I just…wasn’t sure if it was that or just…a crush.”  
“We’re on a date.”  
“But still…Dates like Nancy and Steve have don’t exist at our age. Do they?”  
“You’re such a weirdo, Mike Wheeler.”  
“And you’re too adorable, Will Byers.”   
They fell silent then, each dealing with their own fluttering stomachs and blushing cheeks. Mike took a chapter out of Will’s book just as “Peggy Sue” gave way to another Holly song, “Every Day,” taking a sip from his shake sans straw. He got some vanilla ice cream on his nose, and Will wasted no time as Mike put the glass back on the table. He leaned over immediately, kissing away the ice cream as Mike giggled and turned a dark shade of red.   
“Will!” he cried. “We’re in public!”   
“So? You needed to be cleaned up!”   
“Still…You’re gonna embarrass me!”  
“I’m gonna kiss you on the lips if you don’t stop fussing!”  
“Oh?” Mike asked with a smirk. “Then…never kiss my nose in public ever again! It’s gross!”  
Will playfully rolled his eyes, closing the space between them with another swift kiss. “This date is fun.”   
“Agreed,” Mike said. “You’re the best, Will.”  
“Stop being so sappy,” Will teased. “It’s too cute! But no, seriously, you’re the best.”  
Little did they know, but Nancy and Steve were watching. Both were beaming, with Nancy near tears and a hand over her heart as a soft “aw!” passed her lips. Both Nancy & Steve stole an approving glance at one another, their eyes full of adoration as they gazed back at the two boys. For the first time in a long time, Nancy had been truly happy—and it was all because her brother was happy again, too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of the 30 Day OTP Challenge! Day 5 is a reminder prompt, and this one turned into more of a drabble, but enjoy!

It had been a blustery December night when Mike had given Will his beloved Yoda action figure. They had a sleepover at the Byers’ home, and Mike had brought some toys for them to play with. Among them had been the Yoda figure, one that Will had always secretly—and not so secretly at times—coveted. Mike knew that Will had loved it, and so he offered it up to Will—no trade required.  
“I can’t take it,” Will said. “It’s yours, and it isn’t fair of you to just give it away!”  
“But I really want you to have it!” Mike insisted. “I’ll tell Mom I lost it and get another for Christmas or something.”  
“Mike—“  
“Will.”  
Mike’s tone conveyed finality. Will didn’t argue further and the next afternoon when Mike went home, Will found the figure, Mike’s favorite navy-blue sweater he’d worn over his T-shirt the night before, and a note were on the foot on Will’s bed. The note lying on top of the items simply read: “I wanted you to stay safe and warm. Couldn’t find any of your sweaters, so I figured you needed one. I can protect you even when I’m not here, too, so it’s a win-win. Mikey <3”  
From that day on, Will carried the Yoda figure everywhere and slept in Mike’s sweater on the coldest nights. On warm nights, when he was unable to wear it, he slept with it pressed to his chest, his face buried in the fabric to take in Mike’s comforting scent. It truly was like having Mike there with him, and it was the best memento he could ever ask for. 

II.   
Mike’s reminder of Will had driven the entire Wheeler household to near insanity.  
Will had consulted with Jonathan on making a mixtape for Mike, and it had been perfect. Mike had loved it, and Will made sure to put a lot of Journey on there for him. Mike had been a somewhat secretive Journey fan and only Will had known, so he made sure there was an abundance of it on the tape. Many Michael Jackson hits and a couple of songs by The Smiths were also included, among others.  
Mike had loved the tape so much that he played it constantly in an old stereo he’d borrowed from Nancy. Every time he listened to it, each time one song would give way to another, he thought of Will. He would see Will’s bright smile, would hear his infectious laughter, and it would cause Mike to grin like a fool. Will had even drawn a picture of the two of them, lying together on Mike’s bedroom floor as they listened to the music together. Mike had carried the picture around with him at all times until it started getting a little worn. He then retired it to his wall, wanting to prevent further damage. In fact, he wanted to keep it FOREVER, just the way it had been when Mike gave it to him.  
Neither of them needed fancy gifts from the other. What they had was simply more than enough—trinkets or no trinkets.


	6. Day Six: Meeting The Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of the 30 day OTP challenge. In this one, Mike & Will meet each other's families for the first time.

Karen Wheeler had always celebrated most occasions in a big way and finally meeting the family of her son’s new friend, Will Byers, was certainly no exception.   
Karen had spoken to Joyce Byers on the phone days prior, inviting their family to dinner at the Wheeler home that Saturday. Karen planned to go all-out for the event, baking sweets and mapping out a delicious meal for everyone to enjoy. Mike and Will were both excited to meet the other’s family and were even more excited to see each other. They were always together at school, but that didn’t seem to be enough, somehow; they wanted to be around each other all of the time.   
They spent the entire Saturday counting down the hours, killing time by playing with their toys and, in Will’s case, drawing & coloring some pictures. Will even learned recently that his older brother, Jonathan, was in the same grade as Mike’s older sister, Nancy. The two weren’t close or even friends, but Will suspected that would change as Mike & Will’s friendship grew. How cool would it be for them to all hang out, in any case? They could all ride bikes, or play Cops & Robbers together!  
When the Byers’ arrived at the Wheeler’s, Will practically sprinted from the car. The Wheelers stood in the doorway to greet them, with Joyce and Karen embracing and saying something about not seeing each other that much since high school. Mike wasn’t listening very well, however. He was too busy hugging Will tightly, before waving at Joyce and Jonathan.   
“Where’s your daddy?” Mike whispered, watching as Will smiled shyly at Karen, Nancy, and the Wheeler patriarch, Ted. “Is he sick?”  
“No,” Will said with a shrug of his small shoulders. “He hasn’t been home for a couple days. He does that lots, but he always comes back.”  
“Oh,” Mike said with a deep frown. “Well, I’m sorry. That doesn’t sound very fun or nice.”  
“He’s mean and he would have ruined this if he was here,” Will replied with a sigh. “So I’m happy that he’s not here.”  
Mike nodded, turning to face Joyce as she knelt down to give Mike a hug. Karen does the same for Will, and Jonathan & Nancy introduce themselves to each boy. The adults retreated to the living room after a few minutes, while Nancy, Jonathan, Mike, and Will went to Mike’s bedroom. Nancy and Jonathan sat on Mike’s bed, talking about school and something funny that Nancy’s best friend Barb did one day at recess, while Mike and Will sat on the floor. Mike could tell that something was bothering Will, and he had a feeling that it had to do with his father. He grabbed his stuffed elephant, handing it to Will with a gentle grin.  
“Here,” he said. “Hug him. It’ll make you smile.”  
Will slowly took the toy into his arms, holding it to his chest with a genuine smile. “Thank you.”  
Mike opened his mouth to say more, but Karen was calling them to dinner and he couldn’t finish. Will was already getting up to go to the dining room, and Mike couldn’t quite remember what it was he wanted to say, anyway.  
***  
The two families sat down to dinner, with the four kids sitting at a table adjacent to the adults’ table. Karen and Joyce were gushing over how adorable their sons’ friendship was, while Ted ate in almost complete silence. Once in a while, he would chime in with a joke or light-hearted comment, but the two women usually glossed over it or offered up a fake laugh and feigned interest so that they didn’t seem so rude in front of the children.  
“I think our mommies are really happy with us being friends,” Mike murmured, leaning in so only Will could hear him.  
“Me, too,” Will said. “Your mommy is a good cook. Her food is good.”  
“Thanks,” Mike responded, glancing over to see distracted adults before throwing a pea at Will as he giggled.  
“Mike!” Will hissed, but laughed himself as he flung a small spoonful of mashed potatoes at Mike in return. “There!”  
Nancy looked over then, gasping in complete surprise as she watched her brother and his friend slinging food at each other. She opened her mouth to tattle, but immediately closed it when Mike held up a spoonful of potatoes in her direction. They resumed eating and, at the end of the evening, Karen and Joyce were already making sleepover plans for the boys the following weekend. Will and Mike were delighted, for more reasons than one. Their families loved their friendship and adored the other boy, and the two kids were on their way to becoming best friends. What wasn’t there to be happy about?


	7. Day 7--Laughter

It is said that laughter is one of the most contagious sounds in the world. For Will Byers and Mike Wheeler, it was a fact as close to the truth as anything.  
They had been spending a rainy evening in the Wheeler basement, as per usual when the weather was dreary. The two narrowly missed the downpour after biking from school, and Karen had offered to make them some croque-monsieur, tomato soup, and hot tea. Mike was on one end of the basement couch, shuffling through a box of comics he had stashed down there, while Will was on the floor digging through his backpack for the math homework assigned to them that day. He and Mike agreed to do all of it together, for they had math, science, and English homework to complete for the following day. Since math was, by far, the most tedious subject, they’d reached the conclusion to do it first. Only, Mike was now too preoccupied with comic books, and Will was casting a deep frown in his direction.  
“I thought we were going to do this first?” Will questioned. “We can read comics later!”  
“No, I know!” Mike responded. “I’m just looking for one in particular. I thought it was in my room, but I couldn’t find it in there last night.”  
“Maybe Dustin took it,” Will said, retrieving his math book and putting it on the table, along with a few pencils he always carried in the front pocket of the pack. “Like he stole one of your Captain America issues and claimed Lucas took it, but you found it in Dustin’s backpack later that evening. Remember?”  
Mike snorted with laughter, plucking out an Iron Man comic with a triumphant cry. “Aha!” he exclaimed. “Found it!”  
“Finally!” Will said, patting the spot next to him. “Now, come here and let’s get this stupid homework done. Then we can read comics all we want until I have to go home!”  
“Okay, Mom,” Mike joked, setting the comic aside on the couch and joining Will at the table. “Do you understand the assignment? I’m not sure I really do.”  
“Yeah, I can explain it,” Will said, flipping through his book to find the correct section. “Mr. Harrison has a weird way of explaining things, but he’s young and he’s new. But I think I get it. I got the sample questions right earlier, if that counts for anything.”  
“I didn’t,” Mike admitted with a chuckle, getting his own book and turning it to the right page. “So, teach me.”  
Will looked down at his textbook, skimming the section to get a better way of explaining it to Mike so that he would no longer be confused. When Will looked up again, Mike had jammed two pencils up his nose, making a face and grunting comically. Will laughed loudly at once, trying to stifle it but being unable. He began to convulse in a fit of giggles, and his laughter made Mike want to laugh, too.   
“Stop,” Mike said, snickering as Will continued to chortle. “I…Don’t!”   
Will took another glance at Mike, at how serious and solemn he appeared, and burst into fresh laughter. Mike followed suit, and soon both of them could barely control themselves. That didn’t change when Karen called them upstairs for their food and tea, and both had a difficult time getting serious again.   
They were fighting giggles all through their meal, and their homework lay forgotten in the basement below as they ate. At the moment, both of them were too fixated on their happiness, something that both boys seemed to forget even existed after all they’d been through in the past year. It was a welcome distraction, and something that either was unware that they needed so terribly.


End file.
